Sorting machine



E. A. FORD SORTING MACHINE May 16, 1933.

Filed April 11, 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 16, 1933. E, FORD 1,909,576

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May 16, 1933. E, A, FORD 1,909,576

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SORTING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed April 11, 1929 FIG. IO.

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avwantoz $51 elf/tom I Patented May 16, 1933 rarer EUGENE A. FORD, OF SCARSDALE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE TABULATING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ENDICOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF HEW JERSEY SORTING MACHINE Application filed April 11,

The present invention relates to a sorting machine for record cards and more part cularly to a machine for sorting cards having combinational holes which are analyzed while the cards are in motion.

The main object of the invention consists in the provision of means for simultaneously analyzing a plurality of index point positions while the card is in motion and controlling sorting paths in accordance with said analysis.

.Another object of the invention consists in the provision of new analyzing means for combinational index holes, said means comprising a single brush and a plurality of con' ducting bars adapted to coact with said single brush.

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of improved means for se lectively analyzing either one of a plurality of index point fields passing successively past the analyzing means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be seen from the following specification and recognized in the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a section through the analyzing and distributing mechanism of a sorter;

Fig. 2 is a top View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top view taken on line 38 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows the switching mechanism and its coaction with the card contact lever Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and illustrates several mechanisms driven by the card feed shaft;

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the translating mechanism used in the present machine;

Fig. 7 shows the analyzing mechanism in an enlarged scale and partly in section;

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the translating mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram;

Fig. 10 illustrates a record card having combinational ind-ex points.

The present invention is shown in combi- 1929. Serial No. 354,298.

nation with a sorting machine as described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 187,511 filed April 29, 1927, this machine will be therefore explained in the present case only insomuch as is necessary for a proper understanding of the mechanisms involved and their function with respect to the new invention.

In Figs. 1 and 5 the numeral 12 designates ably mounted in the base plate 16, each having a slot 15 in which is transversely mounted a pin 17. Each pin 17 has a pair of oppositely arranged slots into which passes the bifurcated terminal of an actuating lever 18 one being coordinated to each knife element 1.3. The levers 18 are fast to a shaft 26 which is pivotally supported by a pair of brackets 27 fastened to the frame of the machine. A. connecting arm 20 freely embraces at one end a pin 19 on lever 18 and freely embraces. on

its other end the crank pin 21 carried between crank arms 22 of drive shaft 23.

It is obvious that rotation of shaft 23 will cause reciprocating movement of levers 18 and consequently successive feeding of record cards from the stack 12. The drive shaft i 23 is rotatably mounted in the machine frame (Fig. 5) and has on its one end fast thereto a gear 24 which meshes with a worm 25 serving as a common driving element for said gear and the feeding rollers 14 well known in the art. The worm 25 in turn is driven in the usual way by the motor of the machine.

The record cards are fed to the analyzing mechanism which controls a translating device and this in turn controls the distributing mechanism in accordance with the combinational index points of the card. Fig. 10 illustrates a record card having two decks of recorded data each deck comprising a plurality of columns with combinational index points. It is understood that the combinational index point code may be of any certain predetermined scheme, varied as required.

In the present case the code used is indicated 5 on the card shown in Fig. 10. The index points are analyzed while the card is in motion by a mechanism which will now be described by means of Figs. 1, 2 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

The fixed bar 31 (Figs. 1 and 7) has a slot in which a cross bar 32 is slidably arranged. To said bar is fast a sheet metal support 33 having bent up side portions between which is carried an insulating bar 34 having set therein four metallic bars 35, 36, 37 and 38 level with the surface of bar 34 and extending completely across the width of support 33 The metal bars 35 to 38 are spaced in accordance with the index point positions A, B, C and D indicated in Fig. 10. Into one end of the slidable bar is threaded a screw (Fig. 7) formed on the end of a shaft 39 which is provided with a knurled disk 40. The shaft 39 has integral therewith a finger 41 which prevents through its coaction with the frame wall 42 removal of the analyzer bar unit when the finger is in the position shown in Fig. 7. By means of disk 40 the finger may be turned upside down and said unit may be removed through the hole 43 in the frame wall 42. On the wall 44 opposite to wall 42 are provided four contact spring blades 45, 46, 47 and 48 (Figs. 2 and 7) fast by means of insulating pieces 49 and screws 50 to a fixed wall 50. A plate 51 contacts with each of said contact blades and by means of screws 52 the contact blades 45 to 48 may be connected with their associated translating magnets 55 to 58 (Figs. 1 and 9). As will be seen from Figs. 2 and 7 the blades 45 to 48 are in contact with the analyzing bars 35 to 38 when the analyzing bar unit is in position and consequently the proper analyzing bars will be permanently connected with their proper associated translating magnets 55 to 58. For analyzing a card the analyzing brush 59 coacts simultaneously with all said analyzing bars the brush 59 is long enough to cover all four index positions of one column in the upper or lower deck and adapted to simultaneously engage all the bars 35 to 38. The brush 59 is carried by a holder 60 which in turn is insertably carried by a support 61. This support may be moved transversely by means of a handle and a worm 62 which coacts with the support 61 to adjust the brush 59 selectively to any desire; record column when the worm 62 is turned.

Current is supplied to brush 59 by means of a fixed contact cross bar 63 which contacts with the slidable element 64 which in turn is in conducting connection with the brush. One end of the cross bar is connected with the line 65 (Fig. 9) leading to the current source. The brush holding mechanism as used in this machine is also described more in detail and claimed in my copendin ap plication Serial No. 187,511, filed April 29, 1927 to which reference is herewith made.

When the card while moving past the analyzing brush as the index point positions of a selected column just in line with the conducting bars 35-38, an analyzing circuit is initiated and is set in condition to be completed through the card perforations wherever these occur. Current will thereby be sent through translating magnets 55 to 58 corresponding to the perforations in the cards. One or more of the translating magnets 5558 will be energized and this will cause opening of a sorting path for the record card and the control of the distributing mechanism. This de vice is fully described in my copending application Serial No. 187,511, filed April 29, 1927 and therefore I will refer to it now only as far as i is necessary for a complete understanding of the invention involvec in the present application. The distributing mechanism includes a plurality of superimposed sorting blades 71 leading to various sorting stations for the cards (Fig. i2). Each blade terminates in a finger 72 having an associated bar 73 coacting with said finger. When any one of said fingers 72 (Figs. 1 and 8) is lifted it will separate the blades into two groups and provide a passage way for the card to the sorting station.

The bars 73 are under the control of a plurality of frames 74 which coact with projections of said bar and retain the same in position against the tendency of springs 7 5 which try to lift their coordinated bars. There are provided four frames 74 which are slidably mounted in a housing 76. A spring 7 7 is coordinated to each frame 7 4 and tends to move the frame to the left (Fig. 3). A pawl arm 7 8, however, coacts normally with a slot 7 9 of frame 74 and holds the frame in the position shown in Fig. 3. The pawl arm 78 is integral with a pivotally mounted element 80 one being associated with each frame 74. Each element has an arm 81 serving as armature of the coordinated translating magnet. If therefore upon simultaneous search of all four indeX positions of the card one or a plurality of the translating magnets 55 58 is energized the coordinated elements 80 will be tilted and the arms 78 will release the frames 74 which may then move to the left under the control of their springs 77. Some of the frames will therefore move to the left (Fig. 3) while others will stay in their position according to the combinational holes of the card. The differential and coinbinational adjustment of the frame will permit just one bar 73 to be lifted by its spring namely the bar corresponding to the meaning of the hole combination while all other bars will be held back by the frames 74 which coact with the projections of the spring. The arrangement of said projections relative to the frame 74 will be clearly recognized from Fig. 8 and is described more in detail in the above mentioned pending application. The latching arms 78 (Fig. 1) coact with springs 82 which normally hold said arm and frame 74 in engagement.

fter the card hasbeen fed into the proper sorting path the distributing mechanism must be restored. This is effected in the following way: Upon shaft 23 (Figs. 1 and 5) is fast cam 91 coacting with a lever 92 rigidly connected to a sleeve 93 which is pivotally mounted on a frame 94. The follower 92 terminates at its lower end in an arm 95 to which is pivoted a sleeve 96 adjustably readily connected with a bar 97. The bar 97 terminates in a downwardly extending arm 98 (see also 3) which passes through slots 99 of frame plates 74.

Another restoring mechanism is provided for the bars 73. This mechanism includes a cam 99 upon shaft 23 which cam coacts with the lever 100 pivotally mounted on frame 94. The upper end of lever 100 is connected with a link 101 which in turn is pivoted to a bell lever 102. To said lever is attached a cross bar 103 common to all bars 73 and coacting with a lip 104 of each bar. Springs 105 and 106 are provided for the two restoring mechanisms to hold the same in Contact with their coordinated cams upon shaft 23. Toward the end of the sorting cycle the cam 99 will move shaft 101 (Fig. 1) to the xtreme left position and consequently cross bar 103 will restore all lifted bars 7 3 against the tension of springs 75. At the same time cam 91 will cause lever 97 (Fig. 1) to move to the right. Lever 97 will therefore restore the released frame plates 74 and thus lock the bars 7 3 which have been restored shortly before into position. The restored frame plates 7 4 will be latched by arms 78 under the action of springs 81 and then all parts are again in normal position and ready for a new sorting cycle.

The operation of the machine is controlled by contacts 125 (Figs. 4 and 9) which govern the current circuit. If the tiltably mounted element 126 is rocked to the right (Fig. 4) the lever 107 will close contacts 125 and as soon as card feeding has been initiated these contacts will be held closed by the well known card contact lever 108 which is pivotally mounted at 109 and one arm of which passes slightly within the path of the record cards. The contacts 125 will be automatically opened after exhaustion of the card supply through the arm 110 which is pivotally connected to element 126 and under the tendency of a spring trying to move it upwardly which movement is permitted as soon as card lever 108 does not coact with cards running through the machine.

In order to enable selective analyzing of either the upper or lower index point field as shown in the card in Fig. 10 four cams 111, 112, 113, 114 (Figs. 5 and 9) are provided upon shaft 23 coacting with associated contacts 121, 122, 123 and 124. The make and break contacts 121 and 122 are so timed with relation to the feeding mechanism that cur rent is supplied to the brushes while the lower card deck is under the brush while timing of make and break contacts 123 and 124 is such that an instantaneous impulse is supplied to the brush at the moment the upper deck is under the brush. Sorting may be effected selectively in either one of said decks by switching lever 115 (Fig. 9) either to line of contacts 121 and 122 or to-line including contacts 123 and 124. Current may be supplied from the source to the machine by the main switch 116. When the operator closes contacts 125 in the previously described manner relays 117, 118 will be energized and will connect the motor 119 with the supply whereupon sorting operation will be immediately initiated in the previously described way.

l v hile there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In a record controlled machine, an analyzing device for the records, said device including a plurality of removable conducting bars, a brush element for simultaneous coacti on with all said bars and resiliently mounted contact blades coacting with said conducting bars when in position, an electrical translating circuit, said circuit including said brush and said contact blades in series.

2. In a sorting machine for record cards having parallel columns in each of which a designation may be recorded by a combination of index points based on a predetermined code, an analyzing device for simultaneously reading a plurality of the index point positions of a card column while the latter is in motion, magnets each corresponding to an index point position energized under control of the analyzing device in combinations cor.- responding to the combinational designation, sorting pockets, guide blades leading to the pockets and terminating adjacent each other and in advance of any of the pockets, means cooperating with the blade terminations for opening a path between a pair of adjacent blades to a pocket, and means controlled by the magnets for operating said opening means in accordance with the analyzed combinational designation before the card reaches any of the blade terminations.

3. In a sorting machine for record cards having parallel columns in each of which a 5 designation may be recorded by a combination of index points based on a predetermined code; an analyzing device for simultaneously reading a plurality of the index point positions of a card column While the card is in motion, magnets simultaneously energized under control of the analyzing device in combinations corresponding to the combinational designation, sorting pockets, guides leading to the pockets and terminating adjacent each other in advance of the pockets, means for operating the guides to open a path between an adjacent pair of them to a pocket, and members simultaneously controlled by said magnets for actuating said guide operating means to open a path for the card before the card reaches any of the guides.

4. In a sorting machine for combinational index point designation records; mechanism for continuously and successively feeding the records, an analyzer adapted to yield to the motion of the record and of effective length such as to adapt the analyzer to simultaneously engage a plurality of index points of a record column, said analyzer being thereby adapted to analyze a plurality of index points of a record column while the record is being fed and in motion, a timing device for preventing analysis of the record by said analyzer until the record during its uninterrupted motion has all of said plurality of index points engaged With the analyzer, magnets, one or more of Which are energized under control of the analyzing device in combinations depending on the combinational designation of the card sensed by the analyzer, sorting stations, deflectors for directing the records to the stations, members, each engaging only one of said deflectors, actuating means for actuating said members,

a plurality of elements for engaging and locking said members against actuation and set in combinations by the magnets simultaneously With energization of the latter for selectively releasing said members to operate the deflectors and cause the record to be fed to one of the stations in accordance With the combinational designation sensed by the analyzer.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiiX my signature.

EUGENE A. FORD. 

